Means for automatically stopping trains and signaling



(N0 Model.)

W 0.; SHAFT-ER 8: A. M. WHITE.

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING TRAINS AND SIGNALING. No. 269,235.Patented 1100,19, 1882.

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UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

WILLIAM C. SHAFFER AND ARTHUR M. WHITE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN SYLVANIA,ASSIGNORS TO THE RAILROAD SAFETY LOOK AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

MEANSFQR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING TRAINS AND SIGNALING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 269,235, dated December19, 1882.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that we, WILLIAM Cass SHAF-FER. and ARTHUR M. WHITE, both citizens of the United States, residingin the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Means forAutomatically'Stopping Trains and Signaling, which improvement is fullyset forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings,inwhich- Figurelisaview of the apparatus embodying our invention inposition on a locomotive-- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portionthereof enlarged. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the valve thereof andconnected mechanism enlarged. Fig. 4 is a top view thereof. Fig. 5 is atransverse vertical section of the valve, Fig. 3, in line or m, Fig.6,and avertical section of a connected cylinder. Fig. 6 is alongitudinal vertical section of the valve in line 3 3 Fig. 4. I

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

Our invention consists of a locomotive-err gine having. a valveindependent of the usual valve or valves, and connected mechanism,whereby in the event of danger along the road said independent valve isautomatically opened and said mechanism thereby operated to shut off thesteam from the cylinders, apply the brakes, and stop the train, andsound the alarm.

It also consists of aleg or equivalent device I attached to an axle-boxof the engine, having its lower end carried at an invariable distancefrom the top of the rails of a railroad, so as to strike a projection orshoe along the line of the road, and thereby operate a valve on theengine for stopping the latter, and signaling in the event of danger.

It also consists in constructing the aforesaid leg in such manner thatitis rendered inoperative when the engine is backed.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a box of one of the axles of alocomotive-engine, and B represents a valve, the stem whereof carriestwo heads, a a, and the shell or body has two seats, b I), for saidheads a a, said valve being in communication with the boiler of theengine and secured thereto independent of the usual valve or valves ofthe engine.

Communicating with the body of the valve is a pipe, 0, which, by meansof a pipe,D,communicates with a cylinder, E, the latter being secured tothe cab or boiler of the engine, and having within it a piston, F, whosestem F has attached to it chains, levers, rods, 860., G, which areconnected with the levers A A, respectively, of the throttle-valve andwhistle.

To the shell or body of the valve is pivoted an elbow-lever, H, one limbof which has pivoted to it an arm, J, the end of which opposite to itspivotal connection with the lever H is attached to an upright leg, K,which, pivoted to the box A, is adapted to be engaged by a projection,foot, or shoe, L, the latter being located along the line of therailroad and supported on sleepers, ties, or other proper portion of theroad-bed thereof.

Against the back ofthe legKbe-arsa spring,

M, which is attached to the axle-box A or the frame of the engine, andserves to prevent abrupt motion of the leg when it strikes theprojection L, and restore it to its normal position.

N represents a spring which is attached to the body of the valve B, andformed at top with a bent end, 0, and adjacent thereto a curvature ordepression, d, into which drops the upper end of the elbow-lever, H,said spring being furthermore arranged to bear against the stem B of thevalve B when the elbow-lever H is operated, the normal position of partsbeing shown in Fig. 3.

Formed with or secured to the body of the valve is a branch, P, whichhas an outlet, f, and a spring-valve, P, therefor, and to said branch isscrewed or coupled a pipe, Q, communicating with the air, steam, vacuum,or other brake mechanism of the engine or train, said valve beinglocated beneath the upper limb of the elbow-lever H, so that when saidlever is in its normal position and engaged by the depression d of thespring N, the up per limb of the lever bears against the valve 1? andholds it on its seat, thus closing the opening or outletf. When theelbow-lever is operated it no longer controls the valve P,

and the latter is permitted to open, thus uncovering the outletf,whereby the air, &c., of the pipe Q may discharge through or be admittedto said outlet for the purpose of operating the brakes.

R represents a drip or discharge pipe,which communicates with the bodyofthe valve Bin the portion containing thehead a of said valve, whereby,when the head a is on its seat I) and the head a removed from its seatI), the water of condensation of steam is permitted to escape or exhaustthrough said pipe It.

To the elbow-lever H is pivoted an arm or rod, S, whose upper end iswithin convenient reach of the engineer or other person on the engine,so that said lever may be reset and the connected parts assume theirnormal positions.

The operation is as follows: The shoe L may be automatically heldimmovable by means such as are shown in the Letters Patent No. 250,173,granted to WVm. C. Shaffer on the 29th day of November, 1881, orotherwise set antomatically or by hand, such operation of the shoe beingoccasioned where there are accidents, misplaced switches, open draws,850., along the road, and it is essential to stop the train. As soon asthe leg K strikes the shoe, the former is carried rearward, thus drawingwith it the arm J and turning the elbow-lever," whose upper limb isreleased of the depression d of the spring N, and raised so as to reston. the top bend, 0. The spring, heretofore expanded and nowuncontrolled by the elbowlever, advances against the stem B of the valveB, thus moving the head a from its seat b and closing the head a on itsseat I). Steam or hot water then enters the body of the valve and passesthrough the pipes O D to the cylinder E, whereby the piston F isdepressed or advanced, and the connections G are moved by said piston,the effect whereof is to operate the throttle-valve and shut off thesteam to the cylinders of the engine, and likewise move thewhistle-lever, thus causing the whistle to blow. Simultaneouslytherewith the valveP, relieved of the elbow-lever, is permitted to riseand the opening f is uncovered, whereby air, 820., may be dischargedfrom or admitted to the pipe Q, and the brakes are operated. Bydepressing the lever or arm S the elbowlever, which has rested on theend 0 ol' the spring N, forces back said spring until it drops into thedepression 1 thereof, thus resetting said lever. The valve-stem is nolonger 'controlled by the spring, so that the pressure of steam from theboiler acts on the head a and closes it on its seat I), thus shuttingoff steam to the valve. The head a leaves its seat b, and the condensedsteam or hot water in the body of the valve escapes through the pipe 1%,as has already been stated. The pull on the throttle-valve is much moregradual when my valve B is employed than it would be if connection weremade solely through rods and levers. Hence there is no danger of jerkingthe handle of the throttle-valve violently from the hand of the engineerit he should happen to have hold of it.

The arm J is longitudinally slotted at the end connected with the leg K,and receives a stud or pin, which is fixed to the leg below the pivot ofthe leg, so that when the engine is backing, should the leg strike theshoe, said stud or pin plays in the slot of the arm without impartingmotion to the arm and connected parts of the device. The leg K ispivoted to a box, A, or another box fitted to an axle of the engine, sothatits lower end always stands oris carried at an invariable distancefrom the top of the rails of the road, whereby its action is positive,asit reaches the difierent shoes along the road, and the reliableoperation of the valve B is thus occasioned.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A valve attached to a locomotive-engine and communicating with thesteam -supply thereof, in combination with the usual valve or valves andmeans, substantially as described, whereby in the eventof danger alongthe railroad steam is automatically shut off from the cylinder of thesteam-engine, the brakes are applied, the alarm is sounded, and theengine or train is stopped, substantially as set forth.

2. A valve attached to a locomotive-engine, in combination with acylinder having a piston, with which are connected the throttle-valveand whistle-lever and the brake mechanism, said valve being incommunication with the steam-supply and said cylinder, whereby the valvemay be operated by means located along the road, and the piston therebyactuated,thus automatically shutting ofi' steam and applying the brakesand stopping the engine or train, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

3. A valve in communication with the boiler of a locomotive-engine andan attachment to said engine adapted to be engaged by a projection orshoe along a railroad, in combination with a cylinder communicatingwiththe at'orenamed valve, and having a piston which is connected with thewhistle-lever and brakeoperating mechanism, whereby in ,the event ofdanger said piston is operated, thus automatically operating the whistleand stopping the train, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A valve in communication with the boiler of a locomotive-engine andan attachment to said engine adapted to be engaged by a projection orshoe along a railroad, in combination with a pipe communicating with thebrake mechanism, and having a valve independent of the usual valves ofthe engine, whereby in the event of danger said valve is opened, thusautomatically applying the brakes, substantiallyas and for the purposeset forth.

5. In a device for automatically stopping a locomotive-engine or train,a leg attached to the axle-box or box on the axle of the engine,substantially as described, whereby it is carried an un varying distancefrom the top of the IIO rail of the road, and adapted to engagepositively with an operating projection or shoe along the road,substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

5 6. The leg K, in combination with the arm J, having alongitudinally-extending slot for the connecting-stud of said leg,whereby said legis rendered inoperative when the engine is backed,substantially as and for the purpose 10 set forth.

7. The "alve and its stem with the two seats and heads,in combinationwith the elbow-lever and the spring formed with a depression to receivethe end of said lever, substantially as and r 5 for the purpose setforth.

8. The valve B, in combination with the brake-pipe Q, having a valve,1?, and the overhanging lever H, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

9. The valve B and its stem with the two 20 seats and heads, incombination with the drip or exhaust pipe R, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

10. The valve B. in combination with elbowlever H, spring N, andresetting-arm S, sub- 25 stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM C. SHAFFER. ARTHUR M. WHITE.

